They knew that the new position would mean a pay raise and more responsibility. For the past year, they had worked hard, putting in long hours and extra effort. In their remote location, job opportunities didn’t come up very often, and their manager promised that when the management team came to ask for recommendations, their name would be the one at the top of the list.
They watched with excitement as the senior leaders walked into the conference room. They knew it was going to be an all-day meeting since there was so much to discuss. The meeting was still going on when they and the rest of the staff left for the day. The next morning, they walked into the manager’s office with a smile, waiting to hear the good news.
“Well?” they asked.
The manager didn’t meet their eyes. “Sorry. It didn’t come up. No decision has been made.”
They felt themselves go hot and then cold. “What do you mean it didn’t come up? My name didn’t come up? You promised to bring it up!”
They quit within a few months and in the small community, it got around, and the manager’s reputation took a big hit. The company lost a good employee, and it could have been avoided if they would have followed my trust model.
What would you have done?
If the manager had new information that the position had changed, a phone call after the meeting would have shown the employee that they were important, respected and cared for. They could have put together a plan to help the employee get the necessary experience and tell them how they could reapply. By avoiding eye contact, the manager looked guilty – and it telegraphed that they had done something wrong.
Do you have someone in your office that you don’t trust? Perhaps you have an employee that doesn’t trust you. If you do, you’re not alone. When I’ve spoken at conferences, 100% of attendees talk about trust issues at work.
If there is someone in your organization that you don’t trust or, as a leader, you have a situation you need help with, give me a call. You’ll have an hour of my time to ask anything you want free of charge. It may be all you need to build more trust in your organization. Go to my calendar to book a call.
Let’s work together to build more trust in the world.